The A’s don’t spend on big money free agents. They just don’t - the team’s biggest free agent signing in the past many years was that of Billy Butler, the 17th most expensive player in his class. It’s unlikely the A’s will go after a top-10 free agent in any given class.
It’s still fun to talk about things we probably know won’t happen, and if there’s ever a time to consider the A’s doing things a little bit differently, it’s after an ownership change. David Kaval’s presence in the A’s front office is unlikely to change how the A’s are run from a monetary perspective, but f it.